


A Life With You

by orphan_account



Category: Free!
Genre: Fluff, House Hunting, M/M, Memories, Slice of Life, first home
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-30
Updated: 2014-05-30
Packaged: 2018-01-27 03:06:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,199
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1712675
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>House hunting isn't always fun, but when you find the right one and it's finally yours, it's the greatest feeling. Especially when you're buying your first home with the one you love. MakoHaru slice of life fic; they buy a house and when they start to go through some of their belongings, there are some wonderful memories.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Life With You

**Author's Note:**

> This prompt was given by the lovely [anticlockwise/unsospiro](http://archiveofourown.org/users/unsospiro/pseuds/anticlockwise) (if you haven't read her stuff, DO IT NOW, especially La Confidenza). Prompt: "...one of those quiet and cute house hunting moving in fics for makoharu where they’re sorting through their things and it’s all quiet and sunny and sweet." So basically, hopefully it's all tooth-rotting goodness :)

After living in a cramped apartment and scrimping and saving for years (which didn’t sit well with Haru at the time—that was so much mackerel that he’d had to say no to), it was finally happening. Makoto and Haruka had finally found a house, and in Iwatobi no less.

It wasn’t anything extraordinary, but it was close to Makoto’s job at the new private school where he would be teaching special education. And Haru could walk on the same road that he and Makoto used to take to school, enjoying the sight and smell of the ocean, as he travelled to his job at the local hospital where he was the new aquatic therapist. When Makoto had been offered the job as head of the special education department in the private school, Haru already started looking for somewhere to transfer. The opportunity for Makoto was too good to pass up, and they had missed the simple life of their hometown. So it had been surprising to find that the hospital not fifteen minutes from their house not only had an aquatic therapy program, but had been looking to hire as well.

Taking it as a good sign, Makoto and Haruka looked at their savings and went to a bank to look at the kind of loan they would qualify for. Another pleasant surprise—they would be able to afford a house in Iwatobi.

And thus began the hunt.

The first house they ever looked at together was a beautiful three bed, two bath home with a lovely garden in the backyard, flowers of all colors congregating near a tiny pond that immediately drew Makoto’s interest. It would be a lot easier to keep fish in a pond like that, compared to a bowl in their house.

But the commute they both would have had to make was not ideal. And upon further inspection, they discovered that the house was in a flood zone. And while Haru loved water, Makoto didn’t want to potentially end up living in it. So that house was scratched out.

The second house was perfect. It was actually only two blocks over from where Makoto ad Haruka grew up, and the asking price was far below their budget. It was small, but perfect for the two of them, and maybe even a child if they decided to adopt. But before they could even put in an offer, their realtor informed them that the seller had already accepted another, and the house was due to close in two days 

Holding on to the hope that it might fall through, they waited until it was finally over with—the house closed and a “Sold!” sign was posted across the inviting “For Sale.”

Disappointing days turned into a maddening three-month search, and both men began growing increasingly anxious—Haru was starting work in two weeks, and Makoto’s job would begin in three, and if they didn’t find a house soon, they would have to find an apartment instead and wait on buying their own home. After the two-month mark, the lease on their apartment had ended, but luckily Nagisa and Rei had offered to let Haru and Makoto stay with them. Which meant that packing and moving hadn’t been quite the experience they had hoped for.

It had been a crazed weekend of labeling, boxing, and organizing without any time to really go through their things, leaving Haru and Makoto with more boxes than they originally planned. Makoto’s parents had kindly offered to let them leave of their belongings with them since they would be moving to Iwatobi anyways, and they had space in their basement. With a sigh of relief and longing, they left most of their things in Iwatobi and returned with Nagisa and Rei to their apartment in a neighboring city.

While it was obviously much closer than where they had lived in Tokyo, Nagisa and Rei’s apartment was a forty-five minute commute each direction for Haru after he had started at the hospital in Iwatobi. If they were still there when Makoto began working, he would be commuting for nearly two and a half hours each day.

//

Finally, one afternoon about a week and half after they moved in with Nagisa and Rei, they got a call from their realtor.

“I’ve found a place—it’s a little bit of a fixer-upper, but it’s in the perfect location for you two, and the asking price is right in your price range. It just barely came on the market today, but I’m there right now if you guys can come by. 

Hoping that maybe _this_ would be the house, Makoto got the address and he and Haru went off to see the house. 

It was only a five-minute walk from the train station to the house, and when they saw it, they both looked at each other and smiled. Nestled on a hill overlooking the ocean, the exterior of the two-story house was a smooth cream color, with a green hipped roof. The walkway to the front door was lined with flowers and near the front door, big round stepping stones created a path that curved around the house to the back. 

After excitedly greeting their realtor, they made their way to the front door. Haru watched Makoto take in a deep breath, enthusiasm clearly etched onto his face. As the front door opened in front of them, Haru just managed to catch Makoto’s face fall slightly.

The inside was not as impressive.

The walls throughout the whole house were a very bland white (and very poorly painted), and the wood that covered the floor was cheap and almost plastic-y looking. But the house had a very open layout, and the kitchen had sufficient space for Haru to cook in. Even the living room was large enough for their small group of friends to come over (or rather, for Nagisa to come barging in with Rei whenever he felt like it). The largest bedroom would barely fit their belongings, but there were two other smaller rooms as well. Perhaps here, Haru could start painting again, as one of the spare rooms faced the ocean. But that all depended on how often he would come out of the bath when—oh god. _The bathroom_.

Relief flooded Makoto upon seeing the full tub in the bathroom; Haru could easily soak in that without any problems.

Other than cosmetic issues, and apparently some problems with the plumbing (that would be easy enough to fix—if not, their realtor assured them that she could probably get the seller to fix it for them), they didn’t see how it was such a “fixer-upper,” as the realtor had claimed. It was more than enough for them, and they were so ready to have their own home.

Looking at each other, Makoto and Haru knew that they had agreed.

“We’ll take it! Put an offer in for us as soon as possible,” Makoto announced, his left hand finding Haru’s right and squeezing it gently.

“Perfect! I’ll get all the paperwork ready to sign and send it to you guys later this afternoon. As soon as you get that back to me, I’ll it all taken care of and hopefully we’ll get you boys this house!”

//

Waiting for affirmation from their realtor had been nerve-wracking. Makoto was due to start teaching in just over a week and a half, and Haru was constantly tired from his commute. The only thing keeping him going at this point was the fact that he would be spending nearly his entire workday in the water.

But it was only two days later that their realtor called and told them that their offer had been accepted—the house would be theirs, with the plumbing issues fixed by the seller, if they would close right away. They could sign Friday and the keys would be theirs that day. In less than three days, they would be homeowners, and it would give them a full week to get moved in before Makoto started working.

The only issue had been finding a way around Haru’s work schedule, but luckily the two appointments he had that day were more than willing to change their appointments to Monday. So Friday was a whirlwind of signing page after page, after page of legal documents before they were finally handed the keys to their own home. 

//

Friday and Saturday came and went quickly with Nagisa, Rei, and Makoto’s family helping them move boxes and even begin to unpack.

Sunday was quiet.

Makoto was dozing on their couch, his neck leaning back against the wall and his arms wrapped lightly around a half-empty box.

Haru was sitting near a window, a direct beam of sunlight bathing him in pleasant warmth as he went through one box.

Surreal.

That was how it felt, sitting in their living room, surrounded by piles of boxes, and knowing that this places was _theirs_. Their first home.

The box he was currently rummaging through was filled with picture frames wrapped in towels and old t-shirts.

The first set of towels they’d bought when they moved in together actually, and one of the t-shirts was the one Makoto had been wearing when he’d first told Haru that he loved him.

Haru wondered where that had gone. He loved that shirt.

Gingerly unwrapping the frame, he pressed the shirt to his nose and inhaled, his eyes fluttering closed. He hadn’t seen Makoto wear this blue shirt in some time, but it still smelled like him. It was like… A sharp, sweet woody scent, mixed with something clean and delicate, like fresh laundry. Images of lazy Saturday afternoons wrapped up in his arms in their tiny Tokyo apartment danced behind his closed eyelids and Haru indulged himself in the moment.

_“I still can’t believe you came out here,” Makoto’s voice was quiet, muffled in Haru’s hair. Haru could feel his cheeks heating up so he turned and pressed his face into Makoto’s shoulder, trying to cool the burn._

_“I love you.” The quiet murmur brushed against Makoto’s shoulder and eased into his soul. The strong arms that currently held Haru tightened marginally, and Makoto pressed a gentle kiss atop Haru’s head._

_Makoto had come to Tokyo for school, but it was not Haru’s intention to go with him. He had been content to teach swimming lessons in Iwatobi. Haru hadn’t meant to be insensitive, especially when Makoto had confessed how he felt for Haru after they graduated. He just didn’t know_ what _he felt._

_It had been a struggle for Haru, watching his best friend show up in his house the night before they graduated, dressed in sweat pants and a light blue, V-neck shirt. He looked like he had just prepared for bed, but the light sheen of sweat on his neck and the anxiety in his normally calm eyes betrayed him. He was nervous; but why?_

_As Makoto stuttered through his feelings, trying so hard to express all the emotions he had kept bottled up, Haru stayed perfectly quiet. He felt uneasy, and unsure of how to respond to his best friend. Makoto was Makoto. But what did that mean for Haru? Without trying to make Makoto feel unwanted (god forbid—Haru really_ did _appreciate his best friend and he didn’t want him to think otherwise), Haru explained that he had no idea how he felt._

_That was, until he visited Makoto a few months ago; it had been over a month since Makoto left for Tokyo, and when he saw him again, his heart ached with the loss he hadn’t felt, hadn’t recognized until now. Wearing a blue, V-neck shirt and smiling at Haru, Makoto hadn’t changed a bit._

_And selfishly, as Makoto embraced his friend, Haru was glad. He reciprocated the love his best friend felt for him, and he was more than ready to finally show it. So the second time Haru came to visit Makoto, it had been with all his bags packed and registered for classes at the same university._

“Ne, Haru, what’d you find?” Makoto’s sleepy voiced jolted Haru out of his peaceful reverie and he dropped the shirt.

Soothing arms, much too muscular to be as tender as they were, wrapped around Haru’s torso and pulled him against a broad, firm chest. Tickled by the hair that caressed his neck as Makoto laid his head on Haru’s shoulder, he wrinkled his nose. 

“It’s just some pictures,” Haru stated, trying to set the shirt aside inconspicuously. Haru could feel Makoto’s smile, and watched as one of his hands reached for what had been wrapped in the shirt. It was a picture of Nagisa and Rei taking a selfie on a train, but the focus of the picture had been behind them, on Makoto and Haru. 

“Do you remember when we took this one?” Haru loved Makoto’s sleepy voice; it was like floating in a pool of liquid sunshine. But he just hummed in response as his fingers lightly stroked the outline of Makoto’s hand.

“How many years has it been, eight?”

It had been eight and a half. That picture had been taken during Makoto and Haru’s last year of high school, on the way to swimming nationals. As excited as Makoto had been the night before, all his energy had dissipated quickly on the long trip, and he promptly fell asleep on the train. And as Makoto had spent the night at Haru’s, he had been just as tired by the time they boarded. 

At some point during their journey, Haru’s head had started to lean onto Makoto’s shoulder. Makoto’s head lolled into place atop Haru’s, and somehow their hands had become joined. Upon discovering this, Nagisa had tricked Rei into taking a picture with him in order to get a picture of the sleeping Makoto and Haruka. The trick had been necessary; otherwise “Rei-chan would’ve taken my phone and spoiled all my fun!”

(And after seeing the picture, Rei did admonish him and advise him to respect the privacy of their friends. But secretly he was just as pleased to have captured the moment.)

Makoto hadn’t found out until graduation that Nagisa had even taken the picture. Once Nagisa found out that Makoto had told Haru how he felt (and subsequently, Haru’s lack of response), he had showed Makoto the photo. While at first it had embarrassed him, he then asked Nagisa to send it to him before he left for college. Though at first he felt awkward having such a tender picture of himself and his best friend, it encouraged him and kept the homesickness away when nothing else could.

(Except a phone call from Haru—but those were incredibly rare.)

Once Haru found the picture, hidden away in one of Makoto’s drawers while he was visiting, he placed it on Makoto’s desk without telling him. When Makoto came back in room, he blushed like mad to find Haru sitting at his desk, smiling as only Haru did at the picture.

That night had been the first time they’d kissed.

Haru had looked at Makoto, his eyes questioning, and stretched up to brush his lips against Makoto’s. Carefully, as if time was slowing down, Makoto’s arms found their way around Haruka’s slim torso. From there, the kiss had become more insistent, but the urgency was marred by the way Makoto’s lips kept curving up into a smile. 

For both of them, it felt like the sun was caged within their chests—it was warm, _so_ warm, and it pressed against their rib cages and hearts, taking up all the room they had and expanding continually until it felt like they couldn’t breathe; but it felt so marvelous.

With Makoto’s arms wrapped around him, and sitting in their home, Haru began to feel that warmth begin to steal into his soul again. 

Carefully setting the picture down, Haru turned around in Makoto’s arms. The warmth continued to build as he encircled his arms around Makoto as well. If he could sit like this and feel this way for the rest of his life, he’d gladly give up swimming. The crisp freedom of the water never compared to the peaceful moments like this (though it always came in a very close second).

_Where would I be without you?_ What was meant as a quiet thought of gratitude, slipped passed Haru’s lips unintentionally.

A gentle rumble shook from Makoto’s chest as he chuckled quietly.

“Without me? You’d still be Haru. You’d still love water and swim free and eat way too much mackerel. I, I haven’t really done much, Haru.” With the last sentence, Haru’s arms gripped Makoto more tightly, their bodies pressed close together. Briefly, Haru wondered if their bodies could ever be as close as their souls were. 

“Stop that.” He felt Makoto’s head angle down towards him and could easily imagine the confused expression in those peridot eyes. “It’s… that’s not what I meant…” Even though they’d been together like this for nearly eight years, Haru still took Makoto’s ‘mind-reading’ for granted. Some things needed to be said. 

“I… We, were two lives. Mine. Yours.” The intense beating of his heart made Haru swallow, trying to contain the warmth as it started climbing into his throat. “Without you, one life is lonely. Now, there are two lives; but, just one. Just _ours_. I don’t want the lonely one. With you, I have one life that feels like two. Without Makoto… It’s no good.” 

The spasm in the chest beneath him made him look up. Makoto’s beautiful, kind downturned eyes were shining with unshed tears. His mouth was closed, but turned upwards in a smile that made Haru’s heart skip a beat. From this close, and magnified by the tears that continued to gather in his eyes, Haru could see flecks of ochre in Makoto’s endless green irises.

The green disappeared when Makoto closed his eyes; tears slipped down his cheeks like shooting stars, sparkling in the late afternoon sun. A deep inhale and then those wonderful smiling lips were pressing against Haru’s forehead, his temples, his hair, his nose, his very core. Finally, they rested against Haru’s own lips.

“A life with Haru is all I’ve ever wanted. Just ours.”

//

Quiet sunny days carried a peaceful joy to their home; cuddled together under the kotatsu in winter conveyed a tender intimacy; a small child holding their hands brought an unending love they never thought could grow even more. Where once it was two, bound in love and a tender friendship, now three shared that home by the sea, laughing and swimming and loving.

Bedtime stories and tender goodnight kisses; learning to read and write; soothing the heartache that they couldn’t prevent; helping with college applications and attending graduation; watching their only child go off to university; wedding invitations and missed phone calls; Christmas postcards and surprise weekend visits…

It was messy at times, and louder than Haru typically cared for, but more and more days were filled with that wonderful pressing heat that he first felt with Makoto years ago. And with a whole lifetime to spend together, that warmth would never fade.

**Author's Note:**

> As always, unedited and no beta. I hope you guys like this one, I had a lot of fun writing it. My husband and I just bought our first home last year, and good gravy it is NOT a fun experience. Especially when you're packing/unpacking and crying over your first set of towels or the pictures you found that you thought you'd lost forever. But it's wonderful all the same.
> 
> Hope you enjoy! :)


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